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| Kylie Walker - LET Winner in the Netherlands |
By BETHAN CUTLER, LET Media Manager
Glasgow’s Kylie Walker earned her maiden Ladies European Tour victory at the Deloitte Ladies Open in the Netherlands after a dramatic three-player play-off against Nikki Campbell and Malene Jorgensen at The International near Amsterdam Airport.
Having led by two strokes after both the first and second rounds, the Scot shot 69, 72 and 72 in the three-round event to tie with Campbell and Jorgensen on 213, six-under-par.
The 27-year-old from Glasgow then sealed the wire-to-wire win - worth 37,500 euros to her - by holing a birdie putt of 20 feet on the second extra hole, the 506-yard par-5 18th, playing over water.
“Amazing; absolutely brilliant. I’m delighted,” said Walker. “I’ve been in play-offs to get in the British Open and US Open but not to win on the LET. I was just really trying to win and I kept giving myself chances and not quite making the putts, although I did putt quite well. A lot of them looked good and didn’t go in, so I’m delighted to win in the end.”
On the second play-off hole, Jorgensen made par before Walker perfectly judged her birdie putt. “With the crowd erupting it almost overwhelmed me, with everyone screaming,” said Walker, whose previous best finish in five years on the LET was a tie for fourth at the 2011 Prague Masters.
Walker had a chance to win in regulation play after reaching the 18th green in two shots but three putted from across the green.
Her second round began well when she made a birdie putt of 15 feet on the second hole, but she dropped a shot on the par-5 third, before making her second birdie of the day on the seventh. From there she came home with 11 straight steady pars.
Earlier in the day, Campbell fired five birdies in her first eight holes and overtook Walker with her birdie on the sixth before picking up another shot on the par-5 eighth. However the 33-year-old Australian three-putted on 15 to drop back into a share of the lead.
Denmark’s Jorgensen set the clubhouse target after firing a flawless six-under 67 in warm and sunny conditions and after ending second in Turkey, she finished runner-up for the second LET event in a row.
Three Scots finished in the top 20.
Vikki Laing from Musselburgh earned 5,000 Euros for a share of ninth place with scores of 71, 77 and 69 for two-under-par 217.
Edinburgh-born Sally Watson earned 3,917 for a joint 13th place finish on level par 219 with scores of 74, 72 and 73.
Kelsey Macdonald and Heather MacRae tied for 34th place on 223 to earn 2,100 euros each. Kelsey score 75, 75 and 73; Heather 75, 72 and 76.
Carly Booth tied for 52nd place on 226 with scores of 75, 75 and 73. She earned 1,125 Euros.
FINAL LEADING SCORES
Par 219 (3x73
213 Malene Jorgensen (DEN) 74 72 67, Kylie Walker (SCO) 69 72 72, Nikki Campbell (AUS) 72 72 69 (Walker won play-off with birdie at second extra hole. Walker won 37,500 euros; Jorgensen and Campbell 21,437 euros each)
215 Camilla Lennarth (SWE) 75 69 71, Christel Boeljon (NED) 77 69 69 (12,050 euros)
Other Scots
217 Vikki Laing (SCO) 71 77 69
219 Sally Watson (SCO) 74 72 73
223 Kelsey Macdonald (SCO) 75 75 73, Heather MacRae (SCO) 75 72 76
226 Carly Booth (SCO) 73 77
